MELBOURNE, Fla. – A Melbourne man shot multiple times at a tow-truck driver who was in the process of repossessing his vehicle Monday morning, according to the Melbourne Police Department.
The victim, a J and J Asset Recovery employee, went to Hawthorne Drive around 5 a.m. to repossess Thor Yarabek's GMC truck, the report said.
Police said the victim was driving off with the truck in tow when he realized that Yarabek's truck had its emergency brakes on, so he stopped at a corner and got out of the tow truck so he could disengage them.
While doing so, the victim said he heard loud bangs and saw Yarabek running toward him, firing a gun, according to authorities.
The victim got in his tow truck and drove away to escape the shooting and call police, the report said.
"I was out of my vehicle, I was going to open up the truck when he started shooting at me, and I jumped back into my vehicle and hauled (expletive)," the victim told a 911 operator.
The victim described Yarabek as "huge, every way" and was provided his name and address to the 911 operator.
"The name of the individual that was shooting at me is Y-a-r-a-b-e-k, Thor Yarabek," the victim said.
"Thor, like, the superhero?" the 911 operator asked.
"Thor, like, yeah, like the god, the Viking god," the victim replied.
He was uninjured and his tow truck had no obvious signs of damage, although Yarabek's truck did have a flat tire, according to the affidavit.
Police said they went to Yarabek's house and when they questioned him about what happened, Yarabek said someone had taken his GMC truck.
Records show that Yarabek called 911 and reported that his truck and an attached trailer full of guns and other hunting equipment had been stolen from his driveway. He told the operator that he had recently purchased the truck and was not behind on any payments.
When the operator asked if he shot at the tow-truck driver, Yarabek refused to answer, records show.
"Ma'am, are you asking me questions, or are you trying to find my truck?" Yarabek asked the operator.
A Springfield XD .45 caliber gun was located on Yarabek's kitchen counter, the report said.
Yarabek was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, shooting a deadly missile into a vehicle, discharging a firearm in public and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony.